Updated:
Merino Private Equity
Merino Private Equity is a private equity based in London, founded 2011; the Altss profile covers its classification, headquarters, registration, AUM band, and...
Merino Private Equity
Merino is a long term focused small cap investor in UK businesses. Supportive, flexible, and strategic - we are partners for the long term
General information
Firm type
Private Equity
Year founded
2011
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
United Kingdom
City
London
Corporate office
Golden Cross House, 8 Duncannon Street, London, WC2N 4JF, United Kingdom
Principals
Mark Colley
Managing Director
Jack Kinnersley
Investment Director
Ben Reavley
Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Merino Private Equity?
Managing Director Mark Colley founded the firm and leads sourcing and portfolio management. Investment Director Jack Kinnersley and Partner Ben Reavley hold active post-transaction oversight roles for specific portfolio companies. The compact team structure means Colley is the central decision-maker on new investments.
How does Merino Private Equity typically structure a transaction?
The firm targets majority stakes in UK-focused small-to-mid-market companies and considers most transaction types, including buyouts, management buy-ins, successions, and turnarounds. It invests its own capital alongside institutional investors from a committed-fund vehicle, which it states allows for rapid and certain execution.
Does Merino participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Merino operates as a direct investor, acquiring and actively managing UK businesses. It does not publicly position itself as a fund-of-funds investor. Its model is to deploy its own fund capital directly into portfolio companies alongside its institutional limited partners.
What is Merino's geographic and size focus?
The firm is strictly UK-focused, looking at small-to-mid-market companies. Its acquisition of Somers Handling and disclosed portfolio responsibilities for businesses like Paul's Cycles and Heatpumps4pools illustrate its appetite for niche, specialist companies with established market positions.
How is the investment team organized around portfolio companies?
Post-acquisition oversight is distributed among senior team members. Jack Kinnersley is responsible for One For Fun, Multithread, Premier Bikes, and Paul's Cycles. Ben Reavley oversees Heatpumps4pools, Longden, and 10k Used Gear. This assigned-responsibility model embeds deep operational engagement.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
Need institutional-grade insight on private equity firms?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: